Government has responsibility to protect SPC jobs: AMWU

By
Brent Balinski
04 October 2013

Editorial

The AMWU has claimed that the federal and Victorian governments now have “prime responsibility” to safeguard SPC Ardmona jobs after the Productivity Commission ruled out a temporary tariff to counter cheap imports.

According to Paul Bastian, the union’s national secretary, there were hundreds of jobs at risk.

“This vital industry clearly can’t rely on the Productivity Commission any more than the vehicle industry can,” said Bastian.

“It’s time for the government itself to take responsibility.”

The union believes that the federal and state governments have the responsibility to co-invest $25 million each the upgrade the company’s plant.

“$25 million set aside by the former Labor Government was taken from the Clean Technology Investment Program but now that has been axed, the funding is in limbo,” the union said in a statement.